1. Field Of The Invention
The invention herein pertains to a dry chemical composition useful in rendering any walkway surface slip-resistant and particularly pertains to an effective method of treating floors in restaurants and other high traffic areas.
2. Description Of The Prior Art And Objectives Of The Invention
Businesses that employ people that are physically active in carrying out their work tasks are growing increasingly concerned about insurance costs, lost time and injuries which result from job related accidents. Of particular concern are accidents which occur in the food service sector, such as in restaurants, as waiters, waitresses, cooks, dishwashers and others quickly move from the serving areas to the kitchen and back. Slips and falls by employees are one of the greatest concerns in the food service industry today and account for about fifty percent of the total accidents in restaurants. Various manufacturing facilities, retail shops, warehouses and other work areas likewise experience problems from employees falling as they move about, but generally to a lesser degree. Most fast food restaurants have quarry tile, vinyl tile, wooden or concrete floor surfaces which are generally hard, some of which are porous while others are nonporous to prevent stains and absorption of water, grease, oils and semi-solids which constantly fall thereon. Porous type floors, when cleaned improperly, can become polymerized and less porous preventing absorption and making the floor unsafe for walking. This problem is common in restaurants. As sanitation is a primary concern in restaurants, hard porous floor surfaces allow for quick and easy cleaning, yet inadvertent water and grease spills during peak business hours create potential hazards which are temporarily tolerated during busy times. Small water and grease spills can translate into accidents requiring thousands of dollars of compensation and medical expenses for the injured employee in addition to the loss of experienced workers who must often undergo months of pain, suffering and physical rehabilitation.
The wearing of rubber soled shoes has been encouraged in the past among restaurant workers to increase traction, however such shoe soles can often quickly become glazed and slippery and not all employees wear rubber soled shoes. Various types of anti-slip mats and strips have also been utilized which are sometimes effective in preventing slips and falls in one area of a restaurant but unavailable or inconvenient for use in another area.
Thus, with the problems, costs and injuries known and associated with slippery floors and floor anti-slip devices, the present invention was conceived.
One of its objectives is to provide an inexpensive dry, powdered composition which can be easily applied to render the floor slip-resistant during busy times when there is no other option to prevent such accidents.
It is yet another objective of the present invention to provide a chemical composition which will mix with or absorb inadvertent liquid spills, yet which is water soluble and will allow cleaning with a water rinse.
It is also an objective of the present invention to provide a convenient applicator and method of using the same to render slick, high traffic, liquid laden floors slip-resistant.
It is still another objective of the present invention to provide a dry chemical composition which is relatively inexpensive, non-staining, non-corrosive and easy to use by inexperienced personnel.
It is a further objective of the present invention to provide a method for forming a chemical composition for use as a slip resistant material on wet or greasy surfaces.
It is another objective to make employees and any other person feel more secure on hazardous walkway surfaces.
It is another objective to provide temporary slip protection during busy periods when there is no time for normal maintenance or cleaning.
Various other objectives and advantages of the present invention become apparent to those skilled in the art as a more detailed description is set forth below.